Wartburg College Selected as 2009 Division III Women’s Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday that Wartburg College was selected as the 2009 Indoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year and as the 2009 Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year.

Wartburg swept the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field team championships this year. At the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, the Knights scored a total of 51 points to win the team competition. The title was the first women’s indoor track & field team title in school history.

In addition to Indoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year Wartburg, 15 other teams with top-25 national finishes at the 2009 Division III Indoor Championships earned All-Academic Team honors for their academic and athletic performance.

Wartburg also earns the 2009 Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year honors after winning the 2009 Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May. The Knights secured the team victory by a margin of two points with a win in the meet’s final event, the 4×400-meter relay. Wartburg became just the seventh school in Division III history to win the indoor and outdoor women’s team titles in the same season.

Wartburg is joined on the All-Academic Team list by an incredible 22 additional teams that achieved top-25 finishes at the outdoor championships.

DIVISION III ALL-ACADEMIC TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS

In addition to the Scholar Teams of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the women’s 2009 Division III All-Academic Track and Field Teams. A total of 100 Division III programs made up the women’s 2009 All-Academic Teams.

Shenandoah University led all institutions with a 3.676 team cumulative GPA, followed by Whitworth University with a 3.641 team GPA. Carleton College had the third-highest cumulative GPA with a 3.590.

The selection of the All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams of the Year award is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the respective Division III Indoor or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA.

To be nominated, the team must carry a minimum 3.100 cumulative grade-point average.